


Can You Fill the Silence?

by Tiikeria



Series: Care for Me? [10]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Feels, Gen, Hospitals, Seizures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 21:51:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1526990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiikeria/pseuds/Tiikeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He never thought he’d see the day when he actually wanted Gavin Free to speak.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can You Fill the Silence?

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is actually the second version of this story. The first was a steaming pile of dog shit, in my opinion, at least. So, here we are on Part 10, whose title is from a Bastille song called “The Silence.” It’s been nearly 5 months (since it was posted on AO3, more if you look at Tumblr) and 15,000+ words, along with numerous likes, reblogs, comments and kudos. A huge thank you to everyone for their continuing support and love, and special thanks to iaveinabox, who was one of the original prompters that sparked CfM; pchew, for her nonstop, feels inducing head cannons that have inspired at least half the parts to come, if not all; to larziepan, for cheering me on and sharing her own seizure experiences so I can learn a bit more to make this fic all the more accurate; to twistedsweets for being the inspiration behind Gavin’s seizures; and to onlyacrack for being my editor-in-chief and putting up with all my AH shit, despite not even really being in the fandom.
> 
> Thank you. <3 Now, enjoy Can You Fill the Silence?

He never thought he’d see the day when he actually _wanted_  Gavin Free to speak.  
  
Normally, it was getting Gavin to shut up that was the problem, but, as he watched Dan sign something to the Lad, he realized that he may have taken Gavin’s inability to silence himself for granted. It was too quiet; he almost didn’t believe he was in a room with a wide awake British idiot. This had happened before, though, as Dan later informed him after the doctor left the room, a large amount of technical terms left in her wake. She had called it aphasia, and it was an occasional side effect of seizures; it was like a part of the language side of his brain had been knocked loose, she informed them, though it seemed like his communication abilities would return in due time. How long, however, she couldn’t be sure; it varied person to person. It was only after she left that Dan mentioned it happening in the past, after Gavin’s first Clonic-Tonic seizure in front of his brother, George, and Dan himself.   
  
The sign language was a surprise, though. Apparently, the two had taken it upon themselves to learn the non-verbal language after the incident, to make sure Gavin was able to communicate with someone, should he need to. And, so, Dan had become their impromptu translator. The next surprise came in the form of Jack, who clumsily and messily signed back to one of Gavin’s questions, the Lad perking up happily upon seeing the bearded man’s fingers move. Jack had learned some of it years ago, according to him, so he was rusty and lacking, but he knew some basic signs.  
  
That left Geoff feeling a bit lackluster and useless. Seizures he could deal with. Sign language and silence? He would have to, wouldn’t he? But watching Dan and Jack, he realized just how unprepared he was in the face of something like this. At least he wasn’t alone; Ryan, Ray and Michael were in the same boat he was. However, they also weren’t the man’s unofficial American parent; they were his brothers, if anything. There was a different kind of pressure on Geoff’s shoulders to make sure the man would be alright; to make sure he was happy and healthy while he was living under his roof. Happy didn’t seem to be too hard; healthy was where the challenge came in, and it drove Geoff crazy. Gavin now had no choice but to see a doctor when he was having issues, as Geoff informed him after barging in the hospital room, finding Ryan and Gavin on their third cookie. Gavin hadn’t argued, though whether that was because of the inability to speak or because he knew better, Geoff didn’t care. It didn’t matter.   
  
Fuck, this was going to be a good time.  
  
Slowly the clock ticked it’s way towards the end of visiting hours, the staff still reluctant to let more than two people stay in Gavin’s room overnight; so, at nine, Geoff, Dan and Gavin all bid farewell to the other four men, Ryan only being shoved out after Geoff insisted he need a shower, ‘You’re starting to fucking stink up the room.’ Promises to check in tomorrow were the last words Geoff would hear for a bit, as Dan and Gavin continued their signed conversation, leaving the Gent lost and confused. A half an hour passed before Gavin seemed to motion to Geoff, Dan grinning quietly.  
  
“What did that fucker say about me?” he huffed, eyeing Gavin with a suspicious air, amusement hiding under his features. Gavin could only pout in return, his gaze telling him that it was nothing bad, a reading that proved true by Dan.  
  
“He wants me to teach you some sign language, so you aren’t so bloody lost. Just some basics, so you know if he needs anything.”  
  
“Oh. Alright, let’s learn some shit.”  
  
Two hours later found Geoff able to sign and read a few different simple things, like bathroom and drink. Silently, he thanked whatever deity watching that Dan had stayed, because learning this shit on your own would have fucking sucked. Somewhere during that time, however, Gavin managed to doze off, drool spotting the white pillow; two photos later - for blackmail purposes, obviously - the elder man settled down, ready for another extremely uncomfortable night in the plastic thing they called a chair, Dan following suit in the matching torture device.   
  
It seemed like only minutes before he was awake again, his groggy brain recognizing a voice talking in hushed tones. Cracking open his eyes was only met with darkness, so he made due with just listening to an accented voice have a one-sided conversation.  
  
“B, you know that’s not true.”  
  
Silence.  
  
“I’m still here, aren’t I? I’ve not left, and how many seizures have you had while I’ve been around?”  
  
Silence.  
  
“Would Geoff still be here if he thought you were a burden?”  
  
Silence.  
  
“No, B, he’s not here because he thinks he has to be. You didn’t see him while you were out of it. He was going mental, all worried about you. Kinda like your mum when you’re home.”  
  
Silence.  
  
“I promise. Now go back to sleep, you arse. We’ll chat more in the morning.”  
  
A final silence filled the room, though any vestiges of sleep were erased from Geoff’s mind. Gavin? A burden to him? Yeah, the idiot might be annoying and loud sometimes, but he was anything but a burden. Why the hell would Gavin even think that he could be? Because Geoff was currently sitting in a hospital, instead of sleeping next to his wife in his extremely comfortable bed? Dan was right, did Gavin really think he would be here if he didn’t think Gavin was worth it? What the fuck was bringing this on?   
  
Looks like Geoff wasn’t the only one having a few insecurities following Gavin’s latest medical mishap. But it was’t until a week later that Geoff finally got a chance to understand what was going on in the Lad’s mind. What he found, he didn’t quite enjoy. At all.  
  
A lovely Saturday afternoon found the pair settled on the patio in Geoff’s backyard; it had been a few days since Gavin had been discharged from the hospital, still seemingly without most of his voice. He spoke in quiet, broken sentences, but there seemed to be something off. He just couldn’t pinpoint what until Michael made an offhand comment the day before, as Gavin was catering to Mama Burnie’s maternal instincts in the kitchen area.   
  
“Does anyone else think that Gavin’s speaking a lot better than he did in the hospital?”  
  
“Yeah, I noticed that, too. It’s like the words aren’t forced, anymore. He’s just forgetting some words in his sentences,” Jack observed, turning to look at the Jersey boy. Ray hummed in agreement, still too focused in the game he was playing to really make a comment. Ryan stayed quiet, a guilty look still etched in his features. Despite Geoff’s talk with his fellow Gent that night in the hospital, it seemed like Ryan still blamed himself for Gavin’s current predicament. And probably would until Gavin was back in top shape.   
  
Now, 24 hours later, Geoff could see what Michael meant even more clearly. Gavin was speaking. It wasn’t forced; he didn’t have to think about his words like he did before. But why would Gavin hide the fact that he was getting better? Did he not notice the sad looks he got from Ryan? The worried frowns from himself and Burnie? The awkward silences between the Lads? How Jack was going out of his way to make sure Gavin was alright? What would make the man hide like he was? Because he was, Geoff was sure. He could speak.   
  
He just wasn’t.  
  
And after an hour of what could barely be called conversations about the next few episodes of Minecraft, he had to slam his pen down, causing Gavin to let out a soft squeak in alarm, giving Geoff a bemused look as the Gent rubbed his temples.  
  
“Geoff? Okay?”  
  
“Speak in full sentences, dumbass. I know you can. We all know you can. You fucking suck at hiding anything.”  
  
“Oh…how…how long have you all known?” he sounded so timid asking, that Geoff had to lift his head, taking in the sheepish, scorned look on the young man’s face, sighing softly.  
  
“I had an idea for a few days, but Michael mentioned it, yesterday. That’s when I knew for sure,” Geoff explained, eyeing Gavin for a moment before continuing, “But I just don’t understand why. Why would you hide the fact that you can talk again?”  
  
Geoff watched as he lowered his head, choosing to stare at the tabletop than look Geoff in the eye, “Because…you all seemed to enjoy it.”  
  
“Gavin,” Geoff said, “you’re a fucking idiot.”  
  
Gavin’s head snapped back up in surprise and offense, giving Geoff an insulted look, though any words were cut off by the tattooed man, “We’ve been fucking miserable without your sorry ass harassing us. Jack is going to go grey at this rate, Michael and Ray are fucking lost as to how to communicate with you, and if I see Ryan give you one more kicked puppy look, I might stick _him_  in a fucking hole.”  
  
There was a pause before Gavin spoke again, quieter than before, “And what about you?”  
  
Geoff’s gaze softened, reaching out to rest a hand on Gavin’s shoulder, his mind going back to the conversation the two “B”s had while in the shadowed hospital room, “You aren’t a burden to me, Gavin.”  
  
“But…you have to put up with all my shit…my mingy prick of a brain and my bloody health problems…”  
  
“If I didn’t want to deal with it, do you think you’d still be fucking living with me? I would have kicked your ass out a long fucking time ago.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Really, you dumbass. I wouldn’t have basically adopted you, since you obviously need a parental figure with you at all fucking times. I wouldn’t have let my daughter treat you as her physically older, mentally younger brother. And I wouldn’t have let my wife take care of you like the son we don’t have. You can be annoying as fuck, yeah, and I want to kick your dick in more often than not, but you’ll never be a burden to me.”  
  
It only took a few seconds for Gavin to be hugging him, Geoff shaking his head as the Lad settled on his lap, a soft, “Thanks, Geoff” making it’s way to his ears. He knew words weren’t needed in reply; his return hug was enough.   
  
Of course, Griffon took that moment to step outside, finding her imported son on her husband’s lap, hugging each other tightly, and took that moment to take a photo. That she then forwarded it to Burnie. Of course, that asshole just had to print it, putting it up everywhere in the office, so, on Monday morning, the two were greeted by laughter and teasing, mostly about how apparently Mavin and Freewood were being replaced by Geovin.   
  
But, as he watched Gavin playfully plead his case to an “angry” Michael and Ryan, the rest of the Hunters laughing at the ridiculous scene, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Gavin’s voice had returned to the chaos; order was restored.  
  
Whether he was happy about that or not later on was a different story entirely. 


End file.
